Festival Republic announces plan which encourages the use of festivals and live events as incentives to increase Covid-19 testing

[editor]

"All kinds of dark" commented a friend on this scheme.

Melvin Benn, Managing Director of Festival Republic, has released a detailed plan which encourages the use of festivals and live events as incentives to increase Covid-19 testing.

The ‘Full Capacity’ plan suggests that an incentive-based scheme centred around events would lead to a massive uptake in the number of Covid-19 tests taken by the general public. It would also encourage further takeup of the NHSX tracing app.


How does it work?

The plan proposes to connect access to the entertainment and hospitality sector with mandatory Covid-19 testing. Anyone wishing to attend a festival or live event would be advised to first visit a high street store where they would collect a home testing kit, and to download the NHS tracing app.


Users who test negative would be able to use the app result as a time-limited ‘ticket’ for events. They would be required to show this negative test result at the entrance to any event they wished to attend.

The duration of this time-limited negative test would be adjustable based on the current infection rate and medical advice. By linking the certificate with the NHS trace app, upon contact with somebody diagnosed with Covid-19, the certificate can automatically expire.

The plan aims to align the needs of the event and hospitality sector with the government’s desire to increase testing among the general public. It does not aim to replace other hygiene measures at events, such as health screening upon entry, or regular cleaning of facilities.

Festival Republic MD announces plan to eliminate distancing at events - Access All Areas

Melvin Benn, Managing Director of Festival Republic, has released a detailed plan which encourages the use of festivals and live events as incentives to increase Covid-19 testing. The ‘Full Capacity’ plan suggests that an incentive-based scheme centred around events would lead to a massive...

accessaa.co.uk

 

[muscovyduck]

They should do this with the pubs when they reopen

 

[Monkeygrinder's Organ]

I suppose you can't blame people for trying to find a way to keep their businesses going, even though this isn't going to work for any number of reasons.

The thing that sticks out for me though is the idea that incentives for testing are needed. Is this something that's being raised? Because I was under the impression that getting a test was still quite hard.

 

[Bahnhof Strasse]

Festival Republic, where have I heard that name before? Oh yeah, Queens of the Stoneage gig in Finsbury Park, boiling hot, can’t bring in any liquid of your own, TWO HOUR queue for the bar.

Greedy cunt’s opinion can do one.

 

[beesonthewhatnow]

FR can get in the fucking sea, but something along the lines of what they're proposing here is needed if we want any chance of large scale gigs happening again this side of whenever.

 

[William of Walworth]

It's a long time since we went to any Festival Republic (or similar) event, mostly because over-heavy security and bans from bringing your own alcohol were/are the rules

In normal years ( ) we go to shedloads of festivals, mostly smaller, independent ones with much more sensible rules.
The obvious exception is Glastonbury, but we work there (which makes quite a difference ) and security and stewarding there is generally much more restrained anyway

In terms of Covid-related procedures, I'm hoping that the Association of Independent Festivals (AIF) will work out some sensible guidleines.
And, even more, that Glastonbury (with all their experience and infirmation/resources/contacts) come out with some carefully worked-out stuff.
Maybe there'll even be some cross-organisation co-operation and sharing of (sensible) ideas between various festivals too.

But the words 'Melvin Benn' and 'Festival Republic' in the OP raise my hackles and suspicions.
TBF though I'll need to think a bit more about the actual details of what FR ar suggesting .... ....
Because I'm not at all sure how workable or practical those ideas could really be

 

[William of Walworth]

FR can get in the fucking sea, but something along the lines of what they're proposing here is needed if we want any chance of large scale gigs happening again this side of whenever.

I have to agree, but the devil will be in the details obviously .......

 

[Teaboy]

Festival Republic, where have I heard that name before? Oh yeah, Queens of the Stoneage gig in Finsbury Park, boiling hot, can’t bring in any liquid of your own, TWO HOUR queue for the bar.

Greedy cunt’s opinion can do one.

I feel like you had that coming. A poor choice in many ways.

 

[wemakeyousoundb]

not sure this is something smaller venues/events would be able to afford

 

[Bahnhof Strasse]

I feel like you had that coming. A poor choice in many ways.

Iggy Pop was playing, man.

 

[Dogsauce]

No entry to Glastonbury unless you have proof of vaccination. Imagine the new age loon meltdown.

 

[alex_]

Festival Republic, where have I heard that name before? Oh yeah, Queens of the Stoneage gig in Finsbury Park, boiling hot, can’t bring in any liquid of your own, TWO HOUR queue for the bar.

Greedy cunt’s opinion can do one.

More incompetent really - if they were greedy the bars would have been better run, also see long queues at toilets.

alex

 

[William of Walworth]

No entry to Glastonbury unless you have proof of vaccination. Imagine the new age loon meltdown.

That's not one of the Festival Republic/Melvin Benn suggestions yet, is it ..... I'm guessing that you'e taking the piss here.

Glastonbury will end up with their own plans/proposals whatever.

But even at Glastonbury (Festival I mean,, not town! ), new age loons are a small minority, IMO and IME. Thankfully!!

They exist at the fest (mainly in bits of the Healing Fields ), but most Glastonbury-goers ignore them, or laugh at them, then head to a beer tent or the Cider Bus on their way to one or two out of 100 gigs/events ........

Whatever measures Glastonbury do end up introducing at the fest, loon reaction will be vastly outnumbered by sane reaction, I predict

 

[alex_]

No entry to Glastonbury unless you have proof of vaccination. Imagine the new age loon meltdown.

glastonbury bans hippies ?

 

[planetgeli]

I used to work for Melvin Benn in Mean Fiddler days. He's a grade A cunt.

 

[Yossarian]

Festival Republic seem like the types who would introduce an innovative new model that involves paying £100 for a VIP pass to skip to the front of the queue for COVID armbands.

 

[Bahnhof Strasse]

More incompetent really - if they were greedy the bars would have been better run, also see long queues at toilets.

alex

Greedy.

If not greedy they would have hired more staff. Or having seen the exact same issue the day before they could have allowed people to bring in their own booze.

As it was we had to go away from the gate and find a shop to buy a small bag to put our large bag in as it was too large to be allowed in. Ffs.

If there is a next time; Couple of bottles of vod down the trousers and mix it with slushies, no queue for the slushie stands.

 

[beesonthewhatnow]

No entry to Glastonbury unless you have proof of vaccination. Imagine the new age loon meltdown.

Worth doing it for that alone

 

[8ball]

"All kinds of dark" commented a friend on this scheme.

I'd probably have gone with "all kinds of weird", but yeah.

An antibody test would have a little more logic to it, but I'm guessing that doesn't suit their business plan, since that will reduce the size of their market.

 

[editor]

I used to work for Melvin Benn in Mean Fiddler days. He's a grade A cunt.

Mean Fiddler were a fucking evil company and one of the very first (if not the first) to bring in their 'pay to play' bullshit for small bands.

 

[alex_]

Greedy.

If not greedy they would have hired more staff. Or having seen the exact same issue the day before they could have allowed people to bring in their own booze.

interesting definition of greedy where greedy doesn’t mean wants all the money.

 

[8ball]

Mean Fiddler were a fucking evil company and one of the very first (if not the first) to bring in their 'pay to play' bullshit for small bands.

On some levels their name was very apt.

 

[William of Walworth]

Imagine the new age loon meltdown.

Worth doing it for that alone

You'll never been free of them at Glastonbury though

At least a fair chunk of them prioritise cider, etc., over all the other loon-bollocks

 

[campanula]

The advent of Mean Fiddler, possibly just by coincidence, absolutely finished my desire to go to a single festival (even my local townie one) ever again. Almost overnight, a series of shitty practices eroded any desire to line the pockets of festival entrepeneurs (cunts). My personal moment of truth occurred at Womad, 1994 at Reading (I think) when overnight, children's swing boats suddenly cost ££ a go (I had been used to this sort of thing being free...at least with the festies I attended).

 

[editor]

The advent of Mean Fiddler, possibly just by coincidence, absolutely finished my desire to go to a single festival (even my local townie one) ever again. Almost overnight, a series of shitty practices eroded any desire to line the pockets of festival entrepeneurs (cunts). My personal moment of truth occurred at Womad, 1994 at Reading (I think) when overnight, children's swing boats suddenly cost ££ a go (I had been used to this sort of thing being free...at least with the festies I attended).

They certainly got me all hot and bothered around 1997 in this early urban75 rant:

The Mean Fiddler, along with Universe, are now one of the main promoters of the rave scene in the UK.

Initially making their name on the rock/live music scene, they have recently started to monopolise many of the big outdoor events such as Tribal Gathering, the Reading Festival and Phoenix Festival.

Mean Fiddler were one of the first organisations to start charging support bands to play in London. If you wanted to play, you had to fork out 50 quid which you might never get to see again if you didn't bring in enough punters. Add to that the cost of the van, petrol, equipment hire etc - and the increasing monopoly that MF was rapidly acquiring on the main London venues - and you have one of main reasons why a lot of up and coming bands were squeezed out - and shit bands with loads of money got to play instead.

And it wasn't just the support bands that got a bum deal. Headlining bands were refused permission to bring water (or food) into the venue by the Mean Fiddler staff. Singers were expected to buy water from the bar in order to keep their vocal cords lubricated, an early preliminary to the 'taps off - expensive water' scenario that has come to characterise commercial rave venues.

Next up was the Phoenix Festival, set in a airfield in the middle of nowhere, with an attractive line-up of bands and a captive audience. Despite the name conjuring up all manner of 'new age' connotations, the paying punters who came to the first festival were in for an unpleasant - and most un-'new age' - experience....

Anyone who attended this disastrous rip-off soon learnt what the Mean Fiddler was really about. As usual, an in-house monopoly on food and drink was established and after the bands had finished, heavy handed crews were set on the campers, stamping out fires and turning off portable sound systems. There was almost a riot as disgruntled punters ripped down the fences of the main arena until the Mean Fiddler asked the sound systems to start up again in the camping area to diffuse the anger.

More frothing here: rave rant!

 

[campanula]

soz...forgot to do the quotey thing again
Bloody Hell...it still took them a decade to catch on. I am not any sort of raver but I bloody know they (raves) were in full flood during the latter half of the 80s...and prior to that, there had been almost 2 decades of festivals, fairs and general anarchic, exuberant gatherings. It's really gratifying to see resistance in the form of free parties, squat parties, field invasions and so on...although I am also aware that many working class people such as my family, have been able to make some extra £££ around the edges of festival culture, it really isn't something I would buy a ticket to attend.

 

[William of Walworth]

Blimey editor -- all the above was an absolutely great nostalgic read!

(and thank fuck Melvin Benn's involvement with a few Glastonburys was quite temporary post 2002! )